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A Toast to the AMC Six |
Post Reply | Page 123 4> |
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DocCreer
AMC Addicted Joined: Oct/03/2009 Location: Portland Oregon Status: Offline Points: 1568 |
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Posted: Apr/21/2017 at 2:13pm |
As most of you know I've been driving AMC sixes since the day I could drive.ive never had one blow up on me,or fail other than old car probs.currently I have a 82 eagle and a 61 rambler.Both of them are servely worn out,the rambler so bad it burns about a quart a week.But they both still get good MPG,start Everytime,and maintain 65 plus on the highway.
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61 American
82 eagle limited |
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DaemonForce
AMC Addicted Joined: Jul/05/2012 Location: Olympia, WA Status: Offline Points: 1070 |
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Doc, I'm getting into the V8 now. You wouldn't believe the recipes for this platform!
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FSJunkie
AMC Addicted Joined: Jan/09/2011 Location: Flagstaff, AZ Status: Offline Points: 4742 |
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I have the SAE paper for the Torque-Command series of engines, 199 and 232 cubic inch. One of the primary goals for that engine that the designers set out to achieve from the beginning was that every production engine could pass a 500-hour full-load endurance test at 4000 RPM. That's like running your car flat-out floored at its top speed for 60,000 miles nonstop, not even stopping for gasoline. Another primary goal was for production engines to have a 100,000-mile design life. That means the engine would go 100,000 miles with nothing more than routine maintenance like oil and spark plug changes. Never removing the cylinder head, timing cover, or oil pan.
That kind of durability wasn't unusual. I suspect AMC held a similar standard for all of their engines, six or V8, and so did a lot of other manufacturers, but it gives you an idea of the kind of durability and abuse these engines were designed to take.
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1955 Packard
1966 Marlin 1972 Wagoneer 1973 Ambassador 1977 Hornet 1982 Concord D/L 1984 Eagle Limited |
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DaemonForce
AMC Addicted Joined: Jul/05/2012 Location: Olympia, WA Status: Offline Points: 1070 |
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The longevity and power of these engines is one of the reasons I favor them. It also says something about the engineers that were trying to overcome fairly unusual obstacles at the time while every other make had something weird going on with timing belts, head gaskets and overall power.
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SEdmonds
Moderator Group Joined: Jun/21/2009 Location: Arizona Status: Offline Points: 8196 |
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Some of the best 6s ever made, IMO.
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Fluffy73
AMC Addicted Joined: Nov/21/2007 Location: Castlegar, BC Status: Offline Points: 3059 |
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I'd believe that! I bought my Gremlin in 2002 and at the time showed 120,000 miles. It ran fine with only minor carburetor trouble. A carb rebuild later and she served me flawlessly until 2006 when a lifter collapsed. By that time, I'm sure I was well in excess of 150,000 miles. A set of lifters, a head gasket, a timing set and a completely rebuilt head later and she still purrs away today - 2017 like new. Smooth as silk and peppy like no other! Crazy to imagine a near 50 year old engine still carrying it's stock pistons, rods, rings, crank bearings and oil pump and having nary an issue. Quite honestly, I didn't need to rebuild the head in 2006! I wanted a simple valve job, but there was a mix-up at the machine shop and they gave it the full monty! New valves, guides, springs, hardened seats - the works! The kicker was that only set me back $400. The shop wanted $800 but I said no way! You guys are now the owners of a very elaborate door stop! I told them I'd meet them in the middle though! |
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I am genetically incapable of being Politically Correct.
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FSJunkie
AMC Addicted Joined: Jan/09/2011 Location: Flagstaff, AZ Status: Offline Points: 4742 |
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My 232 made it to 112,000 miles without ever being taken apart. External things like the fuel pump, water pump, valve cover gasket, intake/exhaust manifold gaskets, carburetor, etc. had been replaced, but that was it. The only thing that was wrong with it was a lifter that would bleed down at idle and tick lightly at idle. I put a new timing set in it and ran it to 116,000 before I pulled the head off to replace the lifters. I found the cylinder bores worn pretty badly due to previous owners not maintaining the PCV inlet filter in the air cleaner, allowing the PCV system to suck dusty, gritty Kansas air into the crankcase. That prompted a complete rebuild and required a .040" overbore to clean up. Most of the domestic 7-main bearing inline sixes are really good engines. |
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1955 Packard
1966 Marlin 1972 Wagoneer 1973 Ambassador 1977 Hornet 1982 Concord D/L 1984 Eagle Limited |
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DocCreer
AMC Addicted Joined: Oct/03/2009 Location: Portland Oregon Status: Offline Points: 1568 |
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In your eagle?
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61 American
82 eagle limited |
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DaemonForce
AMC Addicted Joined: Jul/05/2012 Location: Olympia, WA Status: Offline Points: 1070 |
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I can see a 232 working in an Eagle but wouldn't want to outfit it with one unless the only 232 part is the crank. A 4.0 block does wonders for increasing power. It's also easy to modify it for diff bracket support.
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FSJunkie
AMC Addicted Joined: Jan/09/2011 Location: Flagstaff, AZ Status: Offline Points: 4742 |
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No, my Hornet. My Eagle has a 258 with 177,000 and as far as I know has never been apart. At least, there isn't any receipt for it, and I have a full binder of receipts going back to 1984.
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1955 Packard
1966 Marlin 1972 Wagoneer 1973 Ambassador 1977 Hornet 1982 Concord D/L 1984 Eagle Limited |
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